I moved to Austin from the Hawaiian island of Oahu four years prior, and despite having a beard for over twenty years, I had never seen Whisker Wars and didn’t know that beard clubs existed. Upon moving to Austin, I started a podcast with a comedian friend of mine, John Tole. His girlfriend at the time was a member of the Austin Facial Hair Club (AFHC) and encouraged me to participate in the Six Month Sprint category of their annual beard contest. I did. And that’s how it all began.
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For $2000 I found a 1992 Nissan Pathfinder. It had a cabernet-red interior, four-wheel drive, manual transmission, climate control, and 130k miles. It originated from Jersey and had the cancer (rust damage from road salt) but I didn’t care. I took it to a mechanic, found out it needed ~$1000 in repairs. The owner dropped the price a bit, we split the repairs, and I was the proud new owner. Within a week it had an upgraded stereo and sound system. Priorities, am I right?
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Dad relocated our family to Salina, Kansas in 1976 to help Woodgrain Moulding expand their distribution throughout the Midwest. Woodgrain specialized in trim pieces for manufacturing housing, and this opportunity offered relief from a depressed job market in urban Texas. And in the spirit of dogfooding, Dad bought noice double-wide on an acre in the Sundowner West mobile home park.
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It was February 2005 when I made the memorable trip to Death Valley NP. It wasn't my first trip, nor was it my last—just memorable. I had planned to go with my friend Dave but the week leading up to the trip, I learned that a childhood friend of mine had died suddenly and tragically. I wanted to be alone. I wasn’t particularly emotional about his passing, after all, we hadn’t kept in touch, but there was still a deep longing for solitude.
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Since day 1, care for our customers has been a pillar at The Bearded Savant. Suffice it to say, it’s been a journey. We have worked tirelessly to develop a collection that will meet the needs of every man. We do this by sourcing quality ingredients and developing quality scents. So it brings me great joy to announce that we have made one giant leap forward to provide our customers with the best of the best. Starting the first of the year we have moved to USDA Organic carrier oils, butters, and waxes.
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During the month of November, men from all over the world grow their lovely facial locks to raise awareness and to raise money in support of prostate cancer research. In 2016, the Movember project raised $60 million and we want to do our part. Last year we offered a 1/2 oz beard oil (just the right size for a 4 week sprint) and sent 10% of net sales to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. This year we are going to do one better.
To recognize the month of Movember and to do our part, this year we will be offering the same great bottle of beard oil with 98% of net sales going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The remaining 2% will go to fulfill our promise to help end chronic homelessness in Austin, TX.
We encourage you to find some friends, coworkers, fellow subway riders, or GoT watch party dudes and take part in the Movember challenge.
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We get this question all the time: Why does my beard itch? Today we look at three growth stages that can lead to elevated itchiness and discomfort, and in extreme cases, beard dandruff. You can also check out our earlier blog post on the subject here.
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The routine
For those of you that are busy, here's the cliff's notes version:
- Every day—comb it, oil it, balm it, and if 'stached wax it.
- Every week—wash it.
- Every month—trim it.
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Beginning on 1 August 2017, The Bearded Savant gives back. We are teaming up with Community First! Village by offering 2% of net retail sales to the mission to support the chronically homeless of Central Texas. Community First! Village is a 27-acre master planned community that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for the disabled, chronically homeless in Central Texas. A development of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, this transformative residential program exists to love and serve our neighbors who have been living on the streets, while also empowering the surrounding community into a lifestyle of service with the homeless. We could not be more excited about this partnership and we view this 2% as a jumping off point. We look forward to how this partnership develops moving forward.
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We're excited to announce a new project here at thebeardedsavant.com called, Why'd I grow it? Make no mistake, the number of bearded men has exploded in recent years after several decades of too many naked faces (props to my dad for staying strong). So we'd like you to tell us why you grew the hair on your face.
I've been asking men this for some time, the first run of responses can be found on a brand-spanking new feature on our site, Why'd I Grow It? The responses so far have been amazing.
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Why a Bearded Savant Comb?
Quality. Quality. Quality. Our combs are designed and constructed by a master comb maker with over three decades of experience using handmade tools, curated wood selection, with maximum craftsmanship. The grain of the handle and teeth are normal to each other, which puts the grain in the same direction to the maximum stress, making them much stronger (there are a lot of beard combs laser etched out of a single piece of wood, which cannot compete on strength). The shape of the comb makes it easy and comfortable to use. There are no finishes of any type. Looking at the image it looks like there is a varnish or lacquer, but this is merely the result of quality sanding work. At the end of the day, our combs are extremely well made, with high-quality materials, designed for maximum strength, comfort and ease of use, with no coatings or paints. Quality. Quality. Quality.
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I saved the Lion’s Mane for last. Not only that, but I resisted the temptation to post this vignette until now. This story belongs in the winter, it belongs in the cold, because that is where it was born. If you’ve been following along with these vignettes, every scent is inspired by a specific experience or place from my past. Lion’s Mane takes me to the most remote place I’ve ever been: Southern Chile, Patagonia, to the north flank of Monte San Lorenzo.
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While I would like to tell a story about how the Alchemist came to be that was equal parts personal and thought-provoking. But it would be just that: a story. The Alchemist isn't rooted in some childhood experience or important life event. It is just a smell. A really fantastic smell but a smell none-the-less.
I stumbled onto the Alchemist by accident. In the early days of The Bearded Savant I was working to expand upon the initial aromatic offerings I would ultimately bring to market. I wanted something out of the norm, a bit more exotic. So, I grabbed several different essential oils out that fit the bill, mixed them together with my carrier oils, and Alchemist was born. I inhaled it and I knew it was perfect from conception.
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The arborist has an aromatic peer in many of the beard oil companies out there but no peer when it comes to the quality of the aroma. That is to say, nearly every beard oil company attempts to recreate the 'lumberjack' scent but many of them fall woefully short. If these is a generic scent it may seem as though there is not much of a story here, but that would be incorrect.
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The Naturalist is a blend of outdoors and citrus. Kind of a strange mix. Here's why:
I grew up in Vista, CA, which is about 25 minutes from Valley Center, CA and 2.5 hours from Joshua Tree National Park. These two locations were the epicenter of my upbringing. Valley Center is where you will find Polito Family Farms and Joshua Tree is where I found myself.
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I slinked through high school and the first few years of college. Nothing really interested me and nothing motivated me. After nearly flunking out my freshman year, I returned home and enrolled at Palomar College. It was there that I was introduced to Dr. Spear and Dr. Spear introduced me to Geology.
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For the Alpinist, let's start with the image: A beautiful scene of an alpine lake at the base of a jagged peak.
The summer after I graduated high school I set out to conquer the John Muir Trail. About two thirds of the way between Yosemite and Mt. Whitney is Evolution Valley.
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Let's look at the age old question, "Why does my beard itch?" The reason I hear the most from men about why they don't have a beard is itchiness. So, why does it happen and how can we fix it? Not all itches are created equal, so let's look at them one at a time.
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Here at The Bearded Savant we wish all you bearded and unbearded dad's a happy Father's Day. Today is a day where the role of fatherhood should be embraced not a day off from being a dad. So spend some extra time playing with your kids and kiss your wife with more passion than she expects. And maybe end your day with a little extra whiskey, because you know, being a dad can be hard.
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WHAT IS BEARD OIL?
Beard oil is a mix of carrier and essential oils. It is intended to keep the skin beneath your facial hair healthy, which in-turn keeps your facial hair healthy. Yes, facial hair. Beard oil is not specific to beards, it can be used on any type of hair—some friends of The Bearded Savant even use our products on their scalp and as a (gasp!) deodorant in the underarm.
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